Midwest Airlines (formerly Midwest Express ) is a US-based carrier and, for a short time, the operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, operates from General Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee. On April 13, 2010, the Republican parent company announced that Midwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines will join, with the Midwest brand disappearing by the end of 2011.
Midwest Airlines's final flight is operated with Boeing 717-200 and managed with the Midwest Airlines crew to land in Milwaukee on November 2, 2009. Effective November 3, 2009, the Midwest Airlines no longer exists as the actual airline (allowing DOT airline certificate operator to hose ).
Video Midwest Airlines
History
K-C Flight
Midwest Airlines started its existence in 1948, when Kimberly-Clark began providing air transportation to executives and company engineers between Neenah, Wisconsin, headquarters and its factories. Operating from nearby Appleton International Airport, early employee shuttle destinations include Chicago O'Hare, Memphis, and Atlanta Fulton County Airport.
In 1969, K-C Aviation was born from this, and dedicated to the maintenance of the company's aircraft. K-C Aviation was sold in 1998 to Gulfstream Aerospace for $ 250 million; including its operations in Appleton, Dallas, and Westfield, Massachusetts.
Midwest Express
After the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, Kimberly-Clark and KC Aviation decided to establish a regular scheduled airline, and out of the initiative, Midwest Express began operations on June 11, 1984. At that time the airline had two Douglas DC-9 -10 jet engines twins and 83 employees. The initial plan for the airline called for it to serve Appleton, Chicago, and Atlanta. Kimberly-Clark voted against this plan after local refusals of motorists' desire to serve Atlanta's Fulton County Airport, which is a public aviation airport on the west side of the city. From 1983 to 1985, the airline also operated a conventional 580 twin turboprop aircraft supplied by airline departments Kimberly-Clark.
The airline is slowly growing by adding additional DC-9 aircraft to its fleet, including the larger McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jet, totaling 24 by the end of 1996. Finally, Midwest Express serves most of the Midwestern and East Coast destinations. The old slogan, "The Best Care in the Air", represents the product in its flight. Over the years, all flights feature 2-by-2 leather seats (in plane usually equipped with 3-2 seats), ample leg room, free gourmet meals, and warm chocolate pastries. This makes the airline popular with business travelers. In addition, Midwest Express operates a sizable executive charter operation with specially configured DC-9.
In 1989, Midwest Express added two McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft to its fleet, eventually gaining eleven additional aircraft between 1998 and 2001. This allowed the airline to expand its services to the West Coast and Florida. The airline experienced steady growth and sustained profitability, opening an additional center in Omaha, Nebraska in early 1995. Midwest Express also started its own regional subsidiary, Skyway Airlines, The Midwest Express Connection, to provide commuter flight services to small communities in Wisconsin and the region surrounding. Kimberly-Clark relinquished its holdings in two initial public offerings on September 22, 1995 and May 8, 1996. The airline's new parent company, Midwest Air Group, trades on the American Stock Exchange with ticker symbol "MEH."
Midwest Express also added Midwest Vacations in the 1990s, naming GOGO Worldwide Vacations as an original partner to provide hotel services and then partner with Mark Travel. Midwest Airlines Vacations continues to operate as a vacation provider.
In 1997, according to the Midwest Express schedule, the airline shared the code with Virgin Atlantic Airways for flights between London Heathrow Airport and Milwaukee and Kansas City with passengers connecting two airlines in Boston.
After fourteen years of profits, Midwest Express was affected with serious financial problems after the September 11 terrorist attacks. To return to profitability, airlines made major changes. The Omaha hub was reduced to city focus in early 2002, with hub status transferred to Kansas City. Several MD-80 series aircraft have been reconfigured into a new "Saver Service", featuring cloth train seats in a 2-by-3 setting. Saver Service, while reducing the width of the seats, continues to show room for enough legs. The service was initially offered from Milwaukee and Kansas City hubs to recreational destinations such as Florida, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix at the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. The airline's Signature Service is also affected by financial difficulties. Exceptional gourmet food service, which has been served in China after being cooked on board, was discontinued in 2002 and replaced with a buy-on-board product.
Midwest Express destination 1984
Midwest Express served the following purposes in October 1984:
- Appleton, WI (ATW)
- Boston, MA (BOS)
- Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW)
- Newark, NJ (EWR)
- Milwaukee, WI (MKE) - Hub & amp; airline headquarters
In 1985, Atlanta (ATL) was added to the route system with service to Newark being discontinued at this time and in 1986 flights had begun to Madison, Wisconsin (MSN), New York City LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Washington DC National Airport (DCA). All services are flown endlessly between Milwaukee and these destinations, with the exception of nonstop routes between Appleton and Newark in 1984 that were discontinued in 1985.
Midwest Express destinations in 2001
The airline served the following purposes in June 2001:
- Appleton, WI (ATW)
- Atlanta, GA (ATL)
- Boston, MA (BOS)
- Cleveland, OH (CLE)
- Columbus, OH (CMH)
- Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW)
- Denver, CO (DEN)
- Des Moines, IA (DSM)
- Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) - seasonal services
- Fort Myers, FL (RSW) - seasonal services
- Hartford, CT (BDL)
- Kansas City, MO (MCI) - City of focus
- Las Vegas, NV (LAS)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Madison, WI (MSN)
- Milwaukee, WI (MKE) - Main & amp; hub airline headquarters
- Newark, NJ (EWR)
- New Orleans, LA (MSY)
- New York City, NY - LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Omaha, NE (OMA) - Secondary hub
- Orlando, FL (MCO)
- Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
- Raleigh/Durham, NC (RDU)
- San Antonio, TX (SAT)
- San Francisco, CA (SFO) - seasonal services
- Tampa, FL (TPA) - seasonal services
- Washington, D.C. - Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Washington, D.C. - Reagan National Airport (DCA)
In early 2002, Kansas City became a secondary center for the airline while Omaha became a focal city. Midwest Airlines
In 2002, the airline made another major change, shortening its name from Midwest Express to just the Midwest. The main reason for change is the "expressive" modern association with regional airlines, which are not the Midwest. At the same time, a subsidiary of the Midwest commuter airline changed its name from Skyway Airlines, Midwest Express Connection, to Midwest Connect. In a move to save money on jet fuel, the airline accelerated the replacement of the DC-9 aircraft with Boeing 717-200. On May 23, 2006, Midwest Airlines received one of the last two Boeing 717s delivered in a ceremony with AirTran Airways, which received 717 others. Midwest also announced that choosing MD-80 aircraft will leave the fleet.
In May 2005, Midwest announced a new purchase service for customers. The new program is a change from the previous In-flight Cafe and features chefs and inspiration from the famous Mader restaurant. The chocolate chip cookies continue to be roasted on the plane and served warm.
Midwest becomes the largest long-term operation at Mitchell Airport and serves 21 non-stop cities (serving San Antonio only via Kansas City), while its regional partner Skyway Airlines, operates as Midwest Connect, serves nearly 30 destinations throughout the Central United States.
On May 17, 2007, the Midwest Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Northwest Airlines to establish a code-sharing agreement with them. The code-sharing agreement adds 250 city pairs and 1,000 new flight options to Midwest Airlines customers. The northwest route that includes the YX Midwest Airlines code is a destination outside the Northwest hub in Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Memphis across the United States and Canada. Midwest places codes on Northwest flights from Indianapolis, then Northwest focus cities, as well as a number of Northwest-operated flights to Hawaii and Alaska. The route operated by Midwest Airlines that carries the NW Northwest code is a connecting flight in the center of Milwaukee and Kansas City in the Midwest, as well as Omaha, a Midwest focus city. Northwest is also a joint code on Midwest Airlines flights operated between Milwaukee and Kansas City to Atlanta, Boston, Hartford, Los Angeles and San Francisco connected to the trans-Atlantic/trans-Pacific Northwest/KLM network.
The Midwest won more awards for outstanding service in Conde Nast Traveler magazine than any other US carrier, although it did not win any further awards from the magazine after quitting as an independent company.
Service Signature and Saver added
On May 29, 2007, Midwest announced the next phase of the company's strategic plan, which offers customers a choice of Signature and Saver seats on all flights. The double seating option, replacing the original 88 seat configuration, is available on Boeing 717s airlines until their retirement. The same facilities are provided for all passengers in the cabin, including leather seats.
The new configuration consists of 40 Signature leather seats, arranged in 10 rows two or two, offering a 36 "pitch and providing 2-3 inches of leg room from the previous signature seating, and 59 Saver seats are arranged two-by-three companies that are claimed to be false one of the richest coach seats in the industry.
The company projected that applying seating options would generate $ 30-35 million in annual revenue.
The addition of 11 seats in each of the airline's 9 Boeing 717 aircraft will reduce airline unit costs by increasing capacity by 12.5%. If the new seating configuration on Boeing 717 was in effect in 2006, the available Midwest Airlines per seat charge, including 7.22 cents fuel would be 6.77 cents, an increase of 6.3%.
Acquisition by TPG
In December 2006, AirTran Holdings Inc. - owner of AirTran Airways - announced that in December 2005 had approached the Midwest Air Group Board of Directors - owners of Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect - and asked the board to negotiate the company's sales. The AirTran bid in 2005 was rejected by the Midwest council, which also rejected a second bid in late 2006. In December 2006, AirTran disclosed the rejection of both offers in the hope of bringing shareholder pressure on the Midwest board to reconsider, the board recommended that its shareholders reject.
On August 12, 2007, it was announced that AirTran had lost the bid for the Midwest. The private equity group, headed by TPG Capital and including Northwest Airlines, bought the Midwest and made the airline a private company. The inclusion of Northwest in investment partners requires an anti-trust review of the US Department of Justice, which reviews all merger airlines.
On August 14, 2007, AirTran raised its bid to be equivalent to $ 16.25 per share, slightly more than $ 16 per share from TPG Capital investor group. However, Midwest announced TPG would increase its offer to $ 17 per share and a definitive agreement was reached on August 16, 2007.
On August 17, 2007 TPG ​​and Northwest Airlines completed their bid for the Midwest with a final bid of $ 17 per share and a total deal of $ 450 million.
On February 1, 2008, the Midwest Air Group announced that the US Department of Justice has acquitted the Midwest acquisition by TPG Capital and Northwest. It completes the acquisition; Midwest Air Group's trading on the American Stock Exchange expires at the end of trading day on January 31, 2008, and shareholders in the Midwest receive an agreed $ 17 per share. This ends the independent existence of Midwest Airlines.
In keeping with the rest of the aviation industry during oil price hikes since 2003, Midwest Airlines was forced to cut back on services. To do this, Midwest Airlines announced its intention to stop the remaining 12 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets in its fleet. According to the company, the MD-80 is "a very fuel-inefficient aircraft and with today's fuel costs simply becoming economically unfeasible to operate this aircraft." MD-80, and the crew that operated it, left the Midwest at the end of 2008.
TPG Capitals Midwest Air Group failed to pay $ 3.3 million in receivables due to the replacement of regional airlines outsourcing for Skyway Airlines previously d/b/a as Midwest Connect. SkyWest matured on June 30, 2008, forcing SkyWest Airlines to record full reserves and corresponding revenue reductions during the second quarter of that year.
Additional changes were announced on September 3, 2008, when the airline announced that it had collected $ 60 million from TPG, Northwest Airlines and Republic Airways Holdings. As part of the outsourcing agreement, Republic Airlines operates 12 Embraer 170 aircraft under the Midwest Airlines brand, although the Midwest has the option to convert aircraft into long-term leases and operate them directly. The airline also reached an agreement with Boeing Capital to restore 16 Boeing 717, leaving it at that time with a fleet of just 9 aircraft.
Acquisition by Republic Airways Holdings
On June 23, 2009, Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. announced it will acquire Midwest Airlines for $ 31 million. The deal closed on 30 July. Midwest becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic Airways and continues to operate under the current brand. The FAA Midwest Airlines operating certificate expires on November 3, 2009. The Republican takeover takes place just 22 months after TPG and Northwest Airlines pay $ 450 million to the Midwest. Total investment losses by TPG and Northwest are 93% or $ 419 million.
Outsourced flight
On September 3, 2008, Midwest Airlines announced plans to divert all operations to Republic Airways. The Republic began operating the Embraer ERJ-170 jet with 12 76-seats under the Midwest Connect name while the Midwest returned its 25 Boeing 717 aircraft to Boeing under a lease renegotiation. While this change led to additional layoffs bringing the total Midwest pilot pink-slipped to nearly 300 and total employee cuts for the year to 1850, the Midwest indicated that he hopes to start operating the new aircraft itself with the Midwest crew within 8-12 months of that time. Additional aircraft from the Republic were added to operations in the form of a larger ERJ-190 Embraer in August 2009.
The Midwest Branch of the Air Line Pilots Association launched a campaign that protested the Midwest outsourcing plan shortly after it was announced. They argue that the pilot has made significant concessions to help Midwest Airlines survive and that the company's new contract offer represents a cruel demand.
Merge into Frontier
In early 2010, the parent company Republic Airways Holdings announced that the Frontier and Midwest Airlines brands will merge in October 2011. On April 13, the Republic announced that the Frontier Airlines name would be saved. Part of the Midwest brand is incorporated into the Frontier brand as part of the merger, the iconic Midwest cake and the Midwest Airlines slogan, "The Best Care In The Air." In addition, some Embraer aircraft retain the Midwest livery to the end of 2013 until retirement or reassignment by the Republic.
On October 1, 2010, midwestairlines.com is closed for future bookings (other than frequent flyer tickets), and closed completely on October 28th. The user is then redirected to the Frontier Airlines website.
Midwest YX Code was discontinued in early November 2010 and adopted by Republic Airlines.
Possibility of a Midwest brand revival (2017)
In August 2017, reports emerged that there was an ongoing effort to revive the Midwest brand. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a group of people are trying to secure investors to relaunch the airline using the original Midwest Express brand.
Maps Midwest Airlines
Services
Destination
This is a Midwest Airlines destination list, operated by Frontier Airlines and Republic Airlines served as of April 2010. Midwest Connect destinations are not included.
Midwest Miles
Midwest Airlines' frequent flyer program is called Midwest Miles. It maintains an airport lounge, Best Care Club in its Milwaukee hub in D Concourse, until closing on May 31, 2012.
Although the Midwest is not a member of any airline alliance, Midwest Miles can be redeemed in the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles program, and vice versa. In 2006, the Northwest route map showed the Midwest as a partner airline and Northwest (now Delta) withdrew its non-hub flight from Milwaukee.
Midwest Miles is unusual because it has links to the Amtrak program. Midwest Miles members can transfer blocks of 5,000 miles (8,000 km), up to a maximum of 25,000 miles per year to the Amtrak program. Amtrak Points can be used for travel on Amtrak and United Airlines (ex Continental Airlines).
Cookies
The airline's main feature is a chocolate chip cookie that is roasted on the plane and served during the flight. The airline started serving the pastries after an employee experimented with various snacks on empty feet of charter flights.
These cookies are featured in Midwest ads, such as "Save Cookie" campaigns that conflict with the proposed and failed AirTran takeover. The cake was served during a professional baseball game at the Kauffman Stadium, as well as the Bucks basket and Admirals hockey game at Milwaukee's Bradley Center.
The cookie lives longer than the brand as presented briefly on Frontier Airlines flights; the branded airline dumplings sold at a grocery store in Milwaukee are then re-labeled as Frontier products until termination. Frontier announced in 2012 that the airline will stop the cookie service as a cost-per-value deduction, and instead add snacks for purchase in Denver.
Fleet
Fleet upon merger to Frontier
In November 2009, Frontier Airlines pilots and crew operated five Airbus A319-100 aircraft for Midwest Airlines. All former Midwest Airlines Boeing 717s have retired on 3 November 2009. The majority of Midwest Airlines routes are operated by Midwest Connect through outsourcing, allowing the Midwest to advertise and maintain a route system similar to what existed before the takeover of the Midwest Air Group by Texas Pacific. Group: Boeing 717 aircraft replaced by Airbus A319 flown by Frontier Airlines and 15 Embraer 190 aircraft flown by Republic Airlines. Ten of these aircraft were purchased from US Airways
During the merger with Frontier Airlines, it was announced that the Midwest Airlines Embraers fleet would not be merged into Frontier Airlines operating certificates; both types of aircraft will continue to be manned and operated separately by two airlines.
Retired Fleet
Onboard service
Until 2002, Midwest Express serves gourmet food in china along with free alcoholic beverages. With an institutionalized cost-cutting program following the post-September 11 industrial downturn, this was transformed into a food purchase program, "Best Care Cuisine," with breakfast, lunch and dinner available for purchase. During the existence of the airline, warm chocolate cookies are served on most flights.
Incidents and accidents
- On September 6, 1985, Midwest Express Flight 105 crashed shortly after take-off from Milwaukee, heading for Atlanta. According to the NTSB investigation, the accident was caused by improper control input by the pilot when the right plane engine failed due to crack corrosion tension. Improper reaction causes the Douglas DC-9 jet to enter unauthorized reels and accelerated kiosks. All 31 people in it were killed in a fatal accident the only airline.
- On September 11, 2001, Midwest Airlines Flight 7 almost failed to collide with United Airlines Flight 175 being hijacked over the Hudson River at around 9:01 am local time. The Midwest 7 pilot was forced to maneuver the aircraft, under the direction of the air traffic controller, off the flight Flight 175. One minute later, Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center that killed all 65 passengers and crew and resulted in the collapse of the South Tower.
- On November 13, 2007, Midwest Connect flights from Milwaukee to Dayton were in a state of almost colliding with a United Express jet to Chicago from Greensboro while flying over northern Indiana. The air traffic controller with the Chicago Center directs the Midwest flight to start its descent while walking directly to the United Express CRJ a few thousand feet below. The aircraft comes as close as 1.3 miles (2.1 km) apart horizontally and 600 feet (180 m) vertically. Midwest Connect Dornier 328JET is right above the United Express plane and drops as they approach each other. [1]. The audible TCAS alarm in the Midwest's cockpit reminds the proximity pilot, enabling them to stop on time to avoid disaster.
- On July 8, 2008, a Midwest MD-81 charter carrying President Barack Obama's candidate made an emergency landing at Lambert Field in St. Louis. Louis, Missouri, after an evacuation slide in the plane under the tail in the aerial landing landing is deployed, disrupts the aircraft control cables, which affect the pitch control of the aircraft. The pilot communicates the control tower "at this point we want to declare a state of emergency and also have a CFR [accident equipment] standing in St. Louis." The preliminary NTSB report said it detected a "consistent sign by rubbing the elevator control cable" and a broken fence "impinging on the elevator control cable." No one was hurt. At that time, Obama's main campaign was the American Airlines Boeing 757 aircraft chartered by Obama's double campaign and McCain who contributed to the hedge fund company MatlinPatterson and the directors of Global Aero Logistics ownership of North American Airlines, being overhauled. It's back to campaign service on July 20th.
Livery
Midwest Express' original livery consists of dark blue at the top, and white on the bottom. Both are separated by blue and red lines with white lines in between, which run at the end of trailing the tail. The engine is white, and in the tail there is a thick 'M' and an 'E' script, representing the airline's name, and the way the title is printed on the fuselage. This scheme can still be found on one Beech 1900D from Midwest Connect, without 'M E' in the tail, until the end of 2005.
In 1989, the airline began to add McDonnell Douglas MD-80 to its fleet, initially in the same livery. In the mid-1990s, livery was substantially revised. The top of the plane is still blue (albeit a bit lighter), but the underside is repainted in light gray, along with the engine, and now separated by gold, white, and red lines. The tail logo also underwent minor changes, adding a circle around the same letters and grooves of the fuselage connecting the circle to the front end of the tail. Although the letters do not change in the tail, the title on the plane is changed to bold instead of the "Express" script title.
In 2003, Midwest Express Airlines began to create a new identity, when the first Boeing 717 aircraft was delivered, and the DC-9 aircraft was being retired. The company started off by removing the "Express" from its name (and thus, out of the plane), and it was designing a new logo that would help to show it as a representative from Milwaukee. The result is a logo that looks like a wing, with a small 'M' inside it. However, if the logo is turned on its side, it has a resemblance to the Milwaukee Art Museum, designed by Santiago Calatrava, which is being built at the same time. The Art Museum has risen as a Milwaukee icon, and so the new Midwest Airlines feel this will be a good representation. Along with this new identity comes a new livery. The bottom of the plane remained gray, while the top was repainted with deeper blue, essentially the same as the gold, white, and red lines that separated the two. At the bottom, there is also a blue movement, starting from the front (looks like another line), getting bigger when back, covering the entire back of the body. The engine on the plane is painted in the same blue color, with four gold rings on the port machine, and three on the right. It is meant to represent the rank of Captain and First Officer, along with where they sit. Only three MD-80 aircraft, registered N813ME, N822ME, and N823ME ever wore new livery completely; all other MD-80s are wearing hybrid livery until retirement, combining the second Midwest Express livery with the current Midwest Airlines logo and catwalk. In the transition period, some MD-80 also received new titles before the new tail logo, resulting in other variations on the livery.
References
External links
- the official website of Midwest Airlines (featuring Republic Airways web site)
- NTSB Flight 105 crash report
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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